


A Week

by sirknightmordred



Series: Malec AU Works - Part Two [4]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 09:17:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11620569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sirknightmordred/pseuds/sirknightmordred
Summary: Alec tags along when Magnus goes to a Downworlder orphanage to help Catarina heal a sick child.





	A Week

**Author's Note:**

> [Part of a Malec AU Askblog - https://askmagnusandalec.tumblr.com/]

“How is she now?” Magnus asks, with concern.

“Breathing, but critical.” Catarina responds. “I need your help, Magnus, she won’t make it without that gem.”

“Of course, let me get a few other ingredients together and then we’ll go.”

“Where are you going?” Alec asks suddenly, walking into the room.

“Oh, Alexander, how are you feeling?” Magnus asks, his eyebrows drawn together.

“Fine. You didn’t answer me.”

“Back to the orphanage I help run.” Catarina answers. “It’s for Downworlder children. Orphans. One of them, Hans is very ill. I need Magnus’s help to heal him.”

Alec nods his head as Magnus goes about collecting a few things from a few different jars in on his shelves.

“Alright, I think that’s everything. Shall we go?” Magnus says.

“Wait.” Alec intercedes, his hand held up in a stopping motion. “Can I come? Maybe I could help.”

“Oh… Um, well Alexander I don’t think-”

“Of course.” Catarina cuts in. “Perhaps you could help with preparing this evening’s meal since I will be tending to Hans.”

“Okay.” Alec agrees easily. “I’ll get my sweater.”

Once Alec’s out of earshot, Magnus turns to Catarina and asks incredulously, “What are you doing, Catarina?”

“Magnus, I know you are worried, but this could help him. At the very least get him out of the apartment.” Catarina reassures.

Magnus is still weary but nods his head in acceptance despite it, trusting his friend’s judgment.

…

“Cool gills.” Alec says softly to the young girl sitting across from him. “Can I color too?”

The girl nods her head, pushing the crayons over to the Shadowhunter, smiling slightly at the compliment.

“Thank you.”

They color the book together, dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals surrounded by plants. Neither say much of anything, occasionally Alec will complement the girl’s coloring or ask her advice on what color, but mostly they scribble in silence. They both stay like that for almost an hour before another comes in, clapping her hands together at the young girl and other children playing in the room.

“It’s time for bed, kids.” Lela says.

Alec looks up, smiling as best as he can at the woman. They met earlier when Alec first got there. She directed him on how to set the table and fill up the glasses with juice for the children, talking all the while. She’s the kind of person that has a large personality, talking and talking to fill up all the spaces in a room. She didn’t seem to mind Alec’s lack of interest in speaking, something Alec was grateful for. After so long in silence, it was nice, if not exhausting as well.

“That includes you, Madzie.” Lela says sternly toward the young girl across from Alec.

The young girl, Madize, nods her head, her braids moving in turn with her head before she gets up. She puts her crayons away and runs toward Lela who leads her out after all of the other children. Before she leaves the room completely, she looks back toward Alec and smiles. Alec matches her smile and waves goodbye as she turns and goes to bed.

Alec sighs. He’s exhausted. After so long of doing nothing, of feeling what he feels, going out and interacting with others leaves him almost empty. But it’s the good kind of empty almost, and not the only thing he feels. He also feels better in some way, almost. The sadness, the fear, the depression, the anger that plagues him is still there but so is this warmth and feeling of ‘this is right.’ Being with these children, helping them, taking care of them… It feels right. Like maybe he was supposed to be doing this. Alec’s always known he’s wanted a family, his own children, and a spouse. But now it- Well he first thought he wanted those things because it was expected but recently and even more so now he understands that this is what he really wants. For him. For his life. It- It feels right. It feels okay.

“There you are, darling.” Magnus says as he walks into the room.

Alec looks up, giving a small smile. “Hi.”

Magnus is a little taken aback. Alec hasn’t smiled like that in a very long time, even before Max. It’s… It’s almost hopeful- No, it is.

“Are you ready to go home?”

Alec pauses. “Lela says they can always use extra hands here. For more help. I offered… Is that okay?”

“Of course.” Magnus says, his heart melting. “Of course, it’s okay, as long as this is what you want.”

“Yeah… Magnus?”

“Yes, love?”

“It’s been a week.” Alec says, his eyes almost burrowing into Magnus’s at the intensity.

“I know, darling… I…” Magnus is at a loss of what to say, the same way he’s felt this past week.

“You can hug me. I’m not going to break… I know I- I’m not going to break.”

Magnus smiles sadly as he walks over and leans down, pulling Alec into a loving embrace.

“I love you.”

“I know. I- I’m glad that you’re here. I love you, too.”

Alec kisses Magnus’s neck gently as his arms tighten around Magnus.


End file.
